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The Rural Physician Service Program is a program that incentivizes West Virginia medical students to remain in West Virginia to practice. Students who are selected will receive a monetary award in the amount of $22,000. In exchange for the award, students agree to practice at an eligible service site in an area of need within WV for one year for every year they receive the award. In addition, students receive enhanced rural health training during medical school through the Rural Health Initiative programing.
To be eligible for the award, students must:
Be accepted or enrolled at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM).Possess and maintain a minimum GPA of 80.Be willing and able to participate in WVSOM’s Rural Health Initiative (RHI) Program.Be willing and able to complete 12 weeks of rural rotations within WV during 3rd & 4th year.Not be in default of any pervious student loan.Maintain a good professional standing.
Students who are awarded service program funding must sign a contract and practice full-time (40+ hours per week) for a minimum of one year at an eligible site. Students are responsible for locating a practice site and must agree to provide medical services to West Virginia Medicaid and CHIP recipients in a needy area of the state. Penalty for not fulfilling the service obligation is repayment of the scholarship with interest.
Eligible sites include any specialty and any site located within the shortage areas indicated. Additionally, participants may practice any of the following primary care or shortage specialties at any site anywhere in West Virginia:
Rural Physician Service Program Students may complete 3rd/4th year rotations at any Statewide Campus base site as long as the rural rotation requirement can be met. After joining the service program, recipients are expected to participate in RHI programming each year of medical school in order to better prepare students to practice in rural West Virginia. Recipients can expect two mandatory enrichment activities during first and second year, as well as six to eight required events during year three of medical school. Travel/lodging is paid for required RHI events when applicable. RHI works with Statewide Campus when scheduling events. These enrichment activities primarily work to further enhance the rural primary care curriculum that WVSOM provides by exploring industry health issues in West Virginia.
Barbour County
Boone County
Braxton County
Calhoun County
Clay County
Doddridge County
Fayette County
Gilmer County
Grant County
Greenbrier County
Hampshire County
Hancock County
Grant District
Hardy County
Harrison County
Jackson County
Kanawha County (All areas except Charleston)
Lewis County
Lincoln County
Logan County
Marshall County
Mason County
McDowell County
Mercer County
Mineral County
Mingo County
Monongalia County
Morgan County
Nicholas County
Pendleton County
Pleasants County
Pocahontas County
Preston County
Raleigh County (All areas except Beckley)
Randolph County
Ritchie County
Roane County
Summers County
Taylor County
Tucker County
Tyler County
Upshur County
Wayne County
Webster County
Wetzel County
Wirt County
Wyoming County
*Contact Rebecca Thacker for questions on eligible sites 304.647.6298
Send to:
Rebecca Thacker
WVSOM RHI
400 Lee Street North
Lewisburg, WV 24901
The Rural Physician Service Program funds are awarded through a competitive process, so please provide complete information.
In summary, the following materials are part of the application:
RHI is a program of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. This program is presented with financial assistance as a grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.